Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

One Letter, Two Words Make Up This Week's Sunday Puzzle

Sunday Puzzle.
NPR
Sunday Puzzle.

On-air challenge: The theme of today's puzzle is giving. I'm going to give you two words. You give each of them a letter — the same letter for each word — in order to complete a familiar two-word phrase.

Ex. CAT AIDE --> Cast aside
1. SINGE FIE
2. TOPICAL BID
3. RAFT BOAR
4. DIVE THOUGH
5. PONE BOOT
6. HEATH CUB
7. RABBI RAIL
8. BACK BET
9. SEED BUM
10. FOOD PAIN
11. SHOT SHIFT
12. TRIPE PAY
13. SPRY PINT
14. THIN TAN
15. HOSE ACING
16. LOG RAGE
17. FIST STING
18. LIE RAT

Last week's challenge: A very elegant challenge this week, which comes from listener Janet McDonald of Baton Rouge, La. Take the initials and last names of two opposing historical figures. Add a C and mix all the letters together. You'll get the title and last name of another historical figure from approximately the same era. Who are these people?

Challenge answer: U.S. Grant + R.E. Lee + C = General Custer

Puzzle winner: Margo Huffman of Corvallis, Ore.

Next week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Peter Collins of Ann Arbor, Mich. Think of three words used in golf. Say them out loud one after the other. They'll sound like a group that was in the news in 2016. What group is it?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday, Dec. 29 at 3 p.m., Eastern.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Will Shortz has been the puzzle master for NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987.